Rear view mirror



Alfamff w. LA HODNY REAR VIEW MIRROR Filed Dec. 4, 1935 M p W Feb. 23, 1937.

Patented Feb. 23, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 8 Claim.

This invention relates to rear view mirrors or the like, and particularly to the means by which the reflecting. plate is supported and adjusted into difle'rent angular positions.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved and attractive rear view mirror in which the supporting means projects to a minimum extent from the rear of the mirror plate, with which the reflecting coating of the mirror plate will be protected against mechanical injury and the weather, with which a limited universal adjustment of the mirror plate is permitted, with which the mirror plate is held in any of different adjusted positions by simple, durable, compact and inexpensive means, and with which the friction holding the mirror plate against movement will be resilient and continuing to compensate for wear.

Various other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description of an embodiment of the invention, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out hereinafter in connection with the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a rear view mirror constructed and supported in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan of the same, the section being taken approximately along the line 3-3 of Fi 1;

Fig. 4 is a transverse, sectional elevation of the same, the section being taken approximately along the line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation through a portion of the supporting means, the section being taken approximately along the line 5-5 of Fig. 4, the parts being shown in the relative positions occupied when fully attached to a supporting object, such as a vehicle body, and with the head frictionally and resiliently clamped;

Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation similar to Fig. 5, but illustrating the relative positions of the parts just before the device is fully attached to the vehicle frame or body, and before the resilient pressure is placed upon the ball-like head of the stud which supports the mirror plate; and

Figs. 7 and 8 are perspectives of the parts which receive and mount the ball-like head of the stud that projects from the reflecting unit, with the parts shown in these figures inverted and separated from one another but in positions ready to be assembled, after the head is placed in the seat of the cup-like shell shown in Fig. 7.

In the illustrated embod ment of the invention,

terminates in aball-like head 2I.

the improved device includes a mirror or reflecting plate I0, which, if of glass or other transparent material, will have a reflecting coating upon one face thereof. A pad or sheet II of cardboard, paper, or other sheet elastic material, is disposed flat against that face of the mirror plate II) which has the reflecting coating thereon, and this pad or sheet II is coextensive with the coated face of the plate. A reinforcing plate I2 is disposed against the pad or sheet I I and is approximately coextensive therewith. This plate I2 is of relatively stiff material, such as relatively heavy sheet brass, steel or other metal, and it may be made somewhat convex, with the concave side abutting the pad or sheet II. A boss I3 is drawn outwardly from the plate I2 adjacent its upper margin, and the bottom or .end face of this boss is relatively flat and acutely inclined to the coated or reflecting face of the mirror plate ID. A backing member I4, of thinner and flexible metal, is fltted face to face against the outer face of the reinforcing plate I2, including the boss I3 thereof, and the marginal portions I5 01 this backing member I4 extend beyond the corresponding marginal edges of the reinforcing plate I2 and are flanged over the peripheral or marginal edges of the mirror plate Ill. The marginal edges of the plate Ill may be beveled in any suitable manner to facilitate the flanging of the marginal portions I5 of the member I4 over the plate I0, so as to clamp the plate I 0 firmly to the reinforcing plate I2. The backing member, therefore, has a boss I6 drawn therefrom which nests with and fits the boss I3 of the reinforcing plate I2.

A stud H has a flange I8, intermediate of its ends, which abuts against the flat end wall or face of the nesting bosses I3 and I6, as shown in Fig. 4, and the shank of the stud then extends through aligned apertures in the flat end walls of the bosses I3 and I6. The inner end of the stud is then upset to provide a head I9 which rivets or clamps the stud to the flat ends of the bosses I3 and I6. The upset end I9 is also preferably connected to the reinforcing plate I2 by a readily fusible metal body 20, such as by solder or welding metal which unites the upset end I9 integrally to the plate I 2 under the action of heat. The stud I1 is, of course, applied to the plate I2 and backing member I4 before this plate and member are applied to the mirror plate Ill.

The stud II extends upwardly and rearwardly at an acute inclination to the mirror plate It), and A cup-like shell 22 of drawn sheet metal and of generally rectangular shape, is provided in its end or bottom wall with an outwardly drawn boss 23 having an aperture 24 therein so as to provide a downwardly arcuate seat which resembles a section of a spherical surface. The aperture 24 in the seat of the boss 23 is connected with an edge of the shell 22 at its open face by a slot 25 which preferably has a width less than the diameter of the aperture 24 and through which the shank of the' stud may pass. By passing the shank of the stud I! through the slot 25 of the shell 22, the head 2| may be disposed within the cavity or chamber of the cup-like shell 22 and with the shank of the stud extending outwardly through the aperture 24. The head 2| rests in and fits the seat formed in the boss 23.

A closure plate 23, also of generally rectangular or elongated shape, is provided for, and telescopes into, the open end or face of the shell 22. This closure 23 is provided centrally with a drawn boss 21 which is aligned with the boss 23 when the closure is in telescopic position in the open face of the shell 22, and this boss 21 extends upwardly or away from the boss 23 when assembled in telescopic manner as shown clearly in Figs. 4 to 6. This boss 21 may be made in the shape of a segment of a spherical surface so as to provide a concave seat which engages the head 2| of the stud l1 and confines it to the seat in the boss 23.

The closure 25 may have marginal flanges 28 to increase its stiffness or rigidity, and prevent it from binding in the shell 22. A tongue 29 extends from the free edge of one of the marginal flanges of this closure and is bent back upon itself to enter and close the slot 25 in the shell 22, as shown clearly in Figs. 1 and 4. When the closure is in telescopic position in the open face of the shell 22, the tongue 23 fllls in the slot 25 along the side wall of the shell 22 so as to present a. smooth and finished appearance to the .shell 22. The flanges 23 extend in a direction upwardly or outwardly of the shell 22, and the closure is given a slight camber in an endwise direction, as shown in Fig. 6, so that the ends of the closure extend slightly outwardly from the open face of the shell 22 when the seat boss 21 of the closure is confining the head 2| of the stud snugly to the seat of the boss 23, as shown in Fig. 6.

The end portions of the shell 22, at opposite sides of the boss 23, are provided with apertures 30 which when formed are flanged or drawn inwardly slightly so as to provide countersunk seats which receive the heads of flat headed screws 3| or other suitable securing means that pass through the apertures 30 and into a suitable supporting object 32, such as a vehicle body or frame. The closure 23 is also provided with similarly formed apertures 33 through which the screws 3| loosely pass and for this purpose the apertures 33 are aligned with the apertures 30 when the closure is telescoped within the shell 22.

After the shell 22 and closure 26 are assembled, as shown in Fig. 6, a further tightening of the screws 3| will draw the shell 22 tightly against the supporting object 32, and in doing so the ends of the closure 26 will be sprung into the chamber or cavity of the shell 22, which flexes the closure 23 in a transverse direction at points between its ends and on each side of the head 2|, so as to produce a resilient frictional pressure on the head 2|. This frictional resilient pressure on the head 2| serves to hold the head 2| in different ro'ckable positions into which it may be moved, and will continue even after considerable wear has occurred between the head and the s at ll which a,o71,sas

it is confined. when the shell :2 is drawn tightly against the supporting object 32, in order to produce this resflient pressure on the head 2|, the parts assume the relative positions shown in Fig. 5 of the drawing.

when the stud 1 extends at an acute inclination to the mirror plate ||I, as shown in the drawing, the aperture 24 in the seat of the boss 23 of the shell 22 should usually be somewhat of! center, so that when the shell 22 is secured against a horizontal surface of the object 32, as shown in the drawing, the mirror plate III will be supported in an approximately vertical position, and yet can be shifted or rocked universally to a considerable extent as permitted by the aperture 24.

The use of the mirror, which has been constructed in accordance with this invention, would appearto be obvious from the foregoing description. It will be noted that the device is particularly compact and occupies a minimum of space from front to rear and vertically, yet it has all the advantages of a universal support for a mirror plate, and the friction holding the mirror plate in any adjusted position will be maintained for a long period of time to compensate for wear. The device is free of objectionable projections, is light in weight, attractive in appearance, and simple and inexpensive. The manner in which the stud is anchored to the parts that embrace the mirror plate is simple and rigid, and deformation of the sheet metal members which mount the plate ill will be effectively resisted.

It will be understood that various changes in the details and materials, which have been herein described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of the invention, may be made by those skilled in the art within the principle and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A rear view mirror or the like, comprising a mirror plate, a sheet metal backing member covering one face of said plate and at its edges spun over the peripheral edge of the plate for 'attachment to said plate, a boss drawn outwardly on said member, a relatively stifl reinforcing plate fitting closely face to face against approximately the entire inner face of said member which is between the edges of said mirror plate and including said boss, and a stud passing through and non-'detachably clamping together said member and reinforcing plate at the boss, and projecting outwardly therefrom.

2. A rear view mirror or the like, comprising a mirror plate of frangible material, a sheet metal backing member covering one face of said plate and at its edges spun over the peripheral edge of the plate for attachment to said plate, said member having a portion thereof between its spun edges spaced somewhat from said plate, a relatively stifl reinforcing liner fltting closely face to face against and approximately coextensive in area with the inner face of said member between said spun edges, and supporting means anchored to" said liner and extending outwardly through said member at approximately said spaced portion of said member.

3. A rear view mirror or the like, comprising a mirror plate, a sheet metal backing member covering one face of said plate and spun over the peripheral edge of the plate for attachment to said plate, a boss drawn outwardly on said member, a relatively stiff reinforcing plate fitting closely face to face against approximately the entire inner face of said member which is between the edges of said mirror plate and including said boss, a stud passing through and permanently and non-detachably clamping together said member and reinforcing plate at the boss, and projecting outwardly therefrom, and a readily fusible metal integrally uniting the inner end of said stud to said reinforcing plate.

4. In a rear view mirror or the like, a mirror plate, a relatively stiff reinforcing plate disposed across and covering one face of said plate, a resilient pad interposed between said reinforcing plate and said mirror plate so as to prevent direct contact between said plates, a backing member of flexible sheet metal fitted against, and abutting face to face against, said reinforcing plate and having marginal portions extending beyond the edges of said reinforcing plate and spun over the periphery of said mirror plate so as to clamp said mirror plate firmly to said reinforcing plate, and a stud passing through said backing member and reinforcing plate and permanently and non-detachabiy anchored thereto and extending out-v wardly therefrom.

5. In a rear view mirror or the like, a mirror plate, a relatively stifl' reinforcing plate disposed across and covering one face of said plate, a resilient pad interposed between said reinforcing plate and said mirror plate so as to prevent direct contact between said plates, a backing member of flexible sheet metal fitted against, and abutting face to face against, said reinforcing plate and having marginal portions extending beyond the edges of said reinforcing plate and spun over the periphery of said mirror plate so as to clamp said mirror plate firmly to said reinforcing plate, said reinforcing plate and backing member each having a boss drawn outwardly therefrom and interiltting and aligned with one another, and a stud passing through abutting faces of said bosses and anchored thereto so as to extend outwardly from said bosses.

6. In a rear view mirror or the like, a mirror plate of frangible material, a sheet metal backing member covering one face of said plate, and at its edges spun over the peripheral edge of said plate to anchor the plate to said member, a relatively stiff liner disposed against, and approximately coextensive in area with, the inner face of said member between said spun edges, and supporting means secured to said liner for supporting it and said plate and extending outwardly through said member.

7. In a rear view mirror or the like, a mirror plate of frangible material, a sheet metal back ing member covering one face of said plate, and at its edges spun over the peripheral edge of said plate to anchor the plate to said member, a relatively stiff liner disposed against, closely fitting, and approximately coextensive in area with at least the major portion of said member between its spun edges, and supporting means secured to said liner for supporting it, said member, and said plate and extending outwardly through said member for engagement with a support.

8. In a rear view mirror or the like, a mirror plate, a relatively stiff reinforcing plate disposed across and covering one face of said plate, a resilient pad interposed between said reinforcing plate and said mirror plate so as to prevent direct contact between said plates, a backing member of flexible sheet metal fitted against, and abutting face to face against, said reinforcing plate and having marginal portions extending beyond the edges of said reinforcing plate and spun over the periphery of said mirror plate so as to clamp said mirror plate firmly to said reinforcing plate, said reinforcing plate and backing member each having a boss drawn outwardly therefrom adjacent one edge thereof, with the bosses interfltting one another and having abutting, relatively flat faces at an acute inclination to said one face of said mirror plate, and a stud passing through said inclined abutting faces and securely anchored to said reinforcing plate and backing member.v with the stud extending rearwardly at an acute inclination to said one face of said plate.

WILLIAM LA HODNY. 

